January 21, 2026
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Will Pinterest Translate to Shoppable TV?
Pinterest partnered with Roku in the latest attempt to drive commerce through shoppable TV, which blends shopping and entertainment. Revealed at CES, Pinterest’s “Bring My Pinterest to Life” DIY lifestyle TV series will debut in March on Roku. Across six episodes, creators work with everyday “Pinners” in an “inspiration to realization” journey to transform their Pinterest boards into real, tangible spaces and experiences.
The series’ initial brand partners include Wayfair, Eos, and Michaels, whose products are woven into the storytelling, replacing traditional ad breaks. Pinterest said, “Viewers can discover products in context, save ideas to Pinterest, and shop through partner experiences, creating a full-funnel path from inspiration to action and purchase.”
The announcement comes as Pinterest has been increasingly adding more video content to its core app, and follows Pinterest’s acquisition in December of tvScientific — a connected TV (CTV) performance advertising platform — in a move designed to expand its advertising reach to CTV ad platform’s clients.
“People plan and shop across multiple screens, and advertisers need performance solutions that reflect that reality,” said Bill Ready, CEO of Pinterest in a statement at the time. “For the first time, Pinterest advertisers will be able to evaluate TV with the clarity they expect from their performance channels.”
Pinterest Could Be an Early Player in a Larger Retail Wave
While television continues to be a potent tool for product discovery, linking shopping to TV viewing has long challenged outside dedicated shopping channels such as HSN and QVC.
One area gaining traction in recent years are shoppable ads that encourage viewers to scan an on-screen QR code with their secondary device (i.e. smartphone) or use their remote to access more information or make a purchase.
A study last year from Roku, Dentsu, and Luth Research found interactive shoppable ads deliver a 58% lift in unaided brand recall compared to standard video formats.
An accompanying survey of Roku and non-Roku streamers found:
- Nearly half of streamers would pay attention to ads that enable them to buy products featured in movies, shows, and live events.
- More than a third would be interested in buying products that they see in a movie for TV show directly on their TV.
Context mattered, with nearly half of TV viewers paying more attention to ads related to the content they are watching. Roku streamers were also significantly more likely to pick up their remote and “Press OK” than scan a QR code with an ad prompt.
EMarketer research finds that while shoppable ads are increasing in appeal, challenges include “getting viewers to become accustomed to the act of shopping from their TVs,” avoiding friction with viewing experiences, and figuring out what types of content are most conducive to purchases.
EMarketer wrote, “Shows and live events where fashion features heavily—like ‘Emily in Paris’ or the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show—are obvious targets, along with reality TV shows. But viewers may be less inclined to pause an engrossing drama, no matter how much they covet a character’s outfit or home décor.”
BrainTrust
Gene Detroyer
Professor, International Business, Guizhou University of Finance & Economics and University of Sanya, China.
Scott Benedict
Founder & CEO, Benedict Enterprises LLC
Neil Saunders
Managing Director, GlobalData
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
How would you rate the shoppability potential of the “Bring My Pinterest to Life” DIY lifestyle TV series?
Do you see increasing consumer acceptance of shoppable ads creating opportunities for purchases more closely tied to television content?
Poll
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This isn’t Pinterest’s first rodeo with shoppable TV. It created a limited series which could be watched on its app back in 2021. It also had a series with Tastemade a couple of years ago, again via its app. Both were reasonably successful in terms of engagement. The difference this time is that the series will be on a streaming platform, which should widen the audience. However, as the audience isn’t just Pinterest users, content will be key. This has to be really interesting, entertaining and engaging fist and about shopping second.
Pintrest is a visual feast, so a shoppable TV series starring home and arts and crafts retailers seems like a terrific fit. Bring My Pinterest to Life will boost product discovery, spark inspiration and convert viewers with positive, practical content that shortens the path to purchase.
Unlike scripted dramas, DIY and lifestyle programming already attracts viewers who are mentally in “planning” and “buying” mode. By embedding products directly into the storytelling, Pinterest avoids the biggest historical pitfall of shoppable TV: interrupting immersion. This feels closer to contextual commerce than advertising.
That said, success will hinge on friction management. In retail, patience is not a virtue. Viewers won’t tolerate complex flows, QR-code fatigue, or multi-step handoffs.
More broadly, yes — increasing acceptance of shoppable ads does create real opportunity, especially as TVs become commerce-aware endpoints. Imagine smart TVs connected to voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, where viewers can add items to a cart mid-ad without breaking attention. If personalization, identity, and inventory are stitched together cleanly, shoppable TV could evolve from novelty into a legitimate full-funnel commerce channel rather than a gimmick.
I’d rate the shoppability potential of “Bring My Pinterest to Life” as promising but not automatic. The concept — bringing inspiration boards to life on screen with direct paths to purchase — aligns with how many consumers already shop emotionally: through aspiration, discovery, and visual storytelling. Pinterest has long been a center for ideation, with users building boards around weddings, home design, fashion, and entertaining. Translating those static moments into dynamic, shoppable television feels like a logical extension, particularly if the execution makes it easy for viewers to act on inspiration in real time rather than bookmarking ideas for later. But success depends on frictionless integration — whether viewers can move from screen to checkout without cognitive load, interruptions, or disjointed user journeys.
On the broader question of consumer acceptance of shoppable ads tied to TV content, that trend is gaining traction, but it’s still early and context-dependent. Linear TV has historically been passive, and streaming has trained audiences to expect interactivity (look at QR codes and second-screen engagement during live events). Shoppable ads work best when they enhance rather than interrupt the viewing experience — think subtle overlays during fashion moments, seamless transitions triggered by voice or remote, or integration with a retailer’s loyalty profile so personalization feels natural. Today’s consumers are comfortable with digital discovery and mobile checkout; bridging that behavior into the living room or second screen is less about convincing them to buy on TV and more about making the path to purchase feel intuitive and relevant.
In short, there’s a real opportunity here — especially as content and commerce blur further — but it won’t be a slam dunk simply because the medium changes. The brands and networks that succeed will be the ones that pair authentic, contextually relevant content with frictionless shoppability, making it feel like a natural part of the storytelling rather than a hard sell. When inspiration truly meets convenience, the shoppable TV value proposition becomes much more compelling.
Isn’t the real purpose of advertising to get you to buy the product? What is more efficient than doing it right then and there?
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This isn’t Pinterest’s first rodeo with shoppable TV. It created a limited series which could be watched on its app back in 2021. It also had a series with Tastemade a couple of years ago, again via its app. Both were reasonably successful in terms of engagement. The difference this time is that the series will be on a streaming platform, which should widen the audience. However, as the audience isn’t just Pinterest users, content will be key. This has to be really interesting, entertaining and engaging fist and about shopping second.
Pintrest is a visual feast, so a shoppable TV series starring home and arts and crafts retailers seems like a terrific fit. Bring My Pinterest to Life will boost product discovery, spark inspiration and convert viewers with positive, practical content that shortens the path to purchase.
Unlike scripted dramas, DIY and lifestyle programming already attracts viewers who are mentally in “planning” and “buying” mode. By embedding products directly into the storytelling, Pinterest avoids the biggest historical pitfall of shoppable TV: interrupting immersion. This feels closer to contextual commerce than advertising.
That said, success will hinge on friction management. In retail, patience is not a virtue. Viewers won’t tolerate complex flows, QR-code fatigue, or multi-step handoffs.
More broadly, yes — increasing acceptance of shoppable ads does create real opportunity, especially as TVs become commerce-aware endpoints. Imagine smart TVs connected to voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, where viewers can add items to a cart mid-ad without breaking attention. If personalization, identity, and inventory are stitched together cleanly, shoppable TV could evolve from novelty into a legitimate full-funnel commerce channel rather than a gimmick.
I’d rate the shoppability potential of “Bring My Pinterest to Life” as promising but not automatic. The concept — bringing inspiration boards to life on screen with direct paths to purchase — aligns with how many consumers already shop emotionally: through aspiration, discovery, and visual storytelling. Pinterest has long been a center for ideation, with users building boards around weddings, home design, fashion, and entertaining. Translating those static moments into dynamic, shoppable television feels like a logical extension, particularly if the execution makes it easy for viewers to act on inspiration in real time rather than bookmarking ideas for later. But success depends on frictionless integration — whether viewers can move from screen to checkout without cognitive load, interruptions, or disjointed user journeys.
On the broader question of consumer acceptance of shoppable ads tied to TV content, that trend is gaining traction, but it’s still early and context-dependent. Linear TV has historically been passive, and streaming has trained audiences to expect interactivity (look at QR codes and second-screen engagement during live events). Shoppable ads work best when they enhance rather than interrupt the viewing experience — think subtle overlays during fashion moments, seamless transitions triggered by voice or remote, or integration with a retailer’s loyalty profile so personalization feels natural. Today’s consumers are comfortable with digital discovery and mobile checkout; bridging that behavior into the living room or second screen is less about convincing them to buy on TV and more about making the path to purchase feel intuitive and relevant.
In short, there’s a real opportunity here — especially as content and commerce blur further — but it won’t be a slam dunk simply because the medium changes. The brands and networks that succeed will be the ones that pair authentic, contextually relevant content with frictionless shoppability, making it feel like a natural part of the storytelling rather than a hard sell. When inspiration truly meets convenience, the shoppable TV value proposition becomes much more compelling.
Isn’t the real purpose of advertising to get you to buy the product? What is more efficient than doing it right then and there?